I find CN to be generally a depressing time suck. A world filled with a-holes screwing each other over again and again, in a constant time-loop where all that changes is who is doing the screwing and who is taking it up the bum.
And then those few who never do the screwing but stand around waiting to be all honorable and get more frequent butt-sex. (looking at you, RIA)

Some alliances have played non-coalition plans before. They just say "We'll defend our allies, don't hit them." I don't think it usually ends well overall, but it usually earns the non-coalition participant some "honor points", whatever those are worth on Bob.

Disagree that IRON was set up. Agree their FA has been amazing this year, starting with keeping NG and then signing with DBDC.
I agree TOP gets an F in our FA approach. We've made no new ties, severed no ties, and we've failed to plot against our enemies in a way to screw them over.
The fact that some of our allies have chosen to go in on one side while the other allies are being ganked is a demonstrable failure on our part.

Thanks for the responses guys. Some very thoughtful comments there.
Ethics without power is relatively useless. If Ethics must be compromised ot gain power, then is it true that there are no Ethic-centered leaders? I don't think so. I think every choice is a shade of grey. And acknowleding shades of grey doesn't mean giving up the moral high ground. Being 51% Ethical and holding power is probably better then being 90% Ethical with no power.
And seeing everything as either "Good or Bad" is a youthful paradigm, perhaps as we rulers have aged our black and white perspectives on the world have changed?
The reason for my Blog Posting is that I feel like something is missing now, and I'm trying to figure out if its nostaliga for the past or if something actually is missing. Remember, old guys have been saying for thousands of years how much better it was in "their day".

Hi. I played from 08-10, then again starting last year til now. I'm still enjoying the game. I was surprised when I came back to see there were a couple of changes (changable resources was a big one), but the last year feels like a whirlwind of gameplay changes by comparison.
The political situation has changed just as fast. I joined a TOP stuck between NPO and IRON, wondering how to hold its allies on the same side for that coming war. Then we had some leaks, relocated from the North side of the treaty web and just really threw everyone for a loop with NpO-TOP ties. I left a bit after bi-polar, so it was a bit of a wtf moment for me.
So, Bob is in motion. The physics of the world, and the world's politics. I consider it interesting still. A lot of people bemoan Bob's demise. I think we've got some life left here.
o/ CN players of all persuasions!

"They did not play with the assumption that they would lose."
Reaching for greatness requires sacrifice and risk. It is beyond most alliances. I will always admire NPO for its constant efforts to rise to the top, even if they get wtfpwned, like right now, they will rebuild, and try again.